Thiruvananthapuram | Home Minister of Keralam Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday said that the incident of four teenagers, including a 13-year-old girl, allegedly killing an elderly man for money has shocked the state and praised the police for quickly nabbing the culprits.

The minister said it needs to be examined how the children were prompted to commit such a crime and opined that one of the reasons could be drug use.

Chennithala told reporters that the accused were caught by the police within 24 hours and appreciated the diligence and alacrity shown by the investigation team and their seniors in the matter.

"The police stand is always to bring the culprits before the law as quickly as possible after a crime is committed. In the instant case, they were able to do it. I congratulate them on it," the minister said.

The accused girl, an eighth-standard student, was a close relative of the deceased man, 65-year-old Sivankutty of Karuvatta in Alappuzha district.

The three other minors, friends of the accused girl, hailed from Paravur in Kollam district, police had said.

According to the police, Sivankutty was found dead inside his house on Monday morning while his wife and daughter were away at a hospital at the time.

The chain he was wearing and the gold kept in the house were reportedly missing.

Police suspect that the accused wanted to steal money to buy a high-end mobile and a bike and the murder occurred during the theft attempt.

The girl allegedly informed the other teenagers about the possibility of gold being kept there, police sources had said.

Chennithala said that since children were allegedly involved in the crime, it was a matter that deserves serious consideration.

"It needs to be examined how they were prompted to commit the crime. Drugs could be a reason. That is why Keralam government is taking a strong stand against drugs. Operation Toofan is a big success and one of the biggest narco-hunts in India," he contended.

He also said that during the Onam festival season, police will take stringent action against those found using or selling drugs.

"Instructions for that have been issued," Chennithala said.

The minister said that a meeting of DGPs of all the southern states was convened as part of the state's anti-narcotic drive, Operation Toofan, as drug trafficking was occurring in the region.

"It is taking place in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Keralam, etc," he said.